Corresponding in style

In recent years the post office became such a focal point of the community's traffic that quasi clubs met informally in its lobby, and mini class-reunions could be held there on the fly.

But there was a downside: the facility essentially had only five parking spaces for a city population of 1,932.

Also, some senior citizens were finding it difficult to open certain boxes that were near the floor.

Desha Owens checks out mail received in Shallowater's recently instituted home delivery service. She added an artistic touch to her mail box by stringing a miniature birdhouse beneath the box.

A-J photo/Ray Westbrook

Then a kind of revolution, born of necessity, occurred: a new post office with lots of parking was built, and almost simultaneously, home mail delivery began.

It was an occasion momentous enough to inspire creativity, a creativity that can be seen in many of the town's mailboxes.

Sally Neel attributes the introduction of home mail service to her mother, the late Sally Harvey, and some of her mother's friends.

''She knew that everybody ought to have their own mailbox,'' Neel said of her interest in home mail delivery two years ago.

An unspoken ''howdy'' is conveyed to people and postmen passing this iron cowboy in Shallowater. His additional purpose is to receive mail carried by the U.S. Postal Service.

A-J photo/Ray Westbrook

''She always went to the senior center to eat lunch and visit her friends, and they started it there with a petition.''

According to Ernie Ebert, post master, the Fort Worth district office of the U.S. Postal Service sent an official to see if the community qualified for home delivery after he called about Harvey's request.

''They came out here and went through all the streets. They had to count every house in Shallowater. We met the criteria for enough houses, so that's what started it.''

He added, ''They just love it. Over and over there are people who say they are excited about it, especially the senior citizens -- and especially those who live around the old post office. Some of those don't even have a car.''

Not everyone gave up a box in the central post office building, which is now located next door to First State Bank and near U.S. Highway 84. Of 1,602 boxes available in the new facility, 951 are rented.

Ebert said Kent Thompson, rural carrier who handles the home mail service, has 635 deliveries to make, including some that are outside the city limits.

A number of residents have both a box at home and one at the post office.

''I doubt that other communities could do it,'' Ebert said. ''But it depends on how many possible deliveries they have as to whether they could qualify. Our growth rate just dictated that, yes, we've got enough that we can do that.''

Neel said her mother had a favorite saying, one that might best express the changes: ''What blesses one, blesses all.''

Ray Westbrook can be contacted at 766-8711 or rwestbrook@lubbockonline.com.